BANGKOK, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday ordered the transport ministry to terminate its contracts and pursue legal action against a contractor who was involved in two fatal construction crane accidents.
Speaking after chairing an urgent meeting, Anutin said that his government would take all necessary legal actions, including blacklisting the construction firm, to safeguard public interest, ensure safety, and reinforce international confidence in the country.
The move followed an accident on Thursday morning at an elevated expressway construction site, where parts of a crane collapsed onto a major highway connecting Bangkok and Samut Sakhon province, killing two people and injuring two others.
A day earlier, another construction crane used for a high-speed rail bridge collapsed onto a passing passenger train in northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province, leaving 32 people dead and 66 injured.
According to Thai Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, both fatal crane collapses have been linked to the construction contractor Italian-Thai Development PLC.
The contracts for the two specific projects where the accidents occurred would be terminated, Phiphat told reporters after the Thursday meeting.
All remaining contracts held by the firm have been suspended, he said, adding that teams of engineers and transport officials are being dispatched to inspect safety standards at each site before any work is allowed to resume.
The ministry has set a one-week deadline for fact-finding committees to conclude their investigations into the cause of the collapses, he noted.
On Wednesday, the construction company issued a statement expressing condolences over the accident on the same day and promising to fully assume responsibilities for compensation and medical treatment. ■
